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Kendall Langford: Randy Starks won’t be pushed around

After Randy Starks turned in a 2009 season that earned him Pro Bowl consideration at defensive end, there was some consternation when the Dolphins announced in late April that Starks would be moving to nose tackle this season.

Kendall Langford, who started 14 games last season at left defensive end opposite Starks, said anyone who wonders if he can handle the constant double-teams at nose tackle faces need not worry.

“He’s the strongest dude on the defensive line, and one of the strongest on the team,” Langford said.

“Anyone who’s got the notion he’s gonna get in there and get bounced around – that’s not gonna happen. He’s very strong. He’s pretty familiar with the position; he’s played inside before. So we’ll see.”

Langford and first-round pick Jared Odrick have both spent the past few weeks working with trainer Pete Bommarito at a facility at Turnberry Isle in Aventura. Langford, who begins his third season with the Dolphins when training camp opens next Friday, said he wanted to keep his edge after the offseason program ended in mid-June.

“I’m just trying to get an edge,” he said. “I don’t want to be a guy who comes into camp and tries to get in shape. I want to come into camp in shape and just blow it out. It all comes with being a professional.”

Langford said he spoke to Jason Ferguson, who announced his retirement last week, about his decision and Ferguson told him he had had a difficult rehab from the ruptured quadriceps tendon injury he suffered last November. Beyond that, he said, “It pretty much just added up to he felt it was time for him to move on.”

Langford lit up when asked about new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, calling him a “defensive guru.”

“A lot of players are going to enjoy this style of defense,” he said. “We’re all on the same page. We want to dominate, we want to win, and take it as long as we can take it.”

Langford said the defense came away disappointed with its collective performance last year, when it ranked only 22nd out of 32 teams.

“As a defense you always want to stop teams, so when teams score on you it kind of (ticks) you off. But they’re professionals too, so it’s gonna happen. It gets frustrating. But it was more what we weren’t doing than what other teams were doing. Little things here and there that just added up.”

The experts have Miami ranked anywhere from a Super Bowl contender to a distant third in the AFC East. Langford said while the Dolphins are confident right now, so is every other team.

“Of all 32 teams, I don’t think there’s one out there that doesn’t want to go to the Super Bowl,” he said. “But at the same time, we believe in ourselves, our coaches believe in us. They’re gonna give us a game plan, they’re gonna put the best 11 out there at a time, and we’ll see what happens.”